Let's get a boat......1993-94

Everyone asks if cruising had always been a dream for us, but in actual fact it was a spur of the moment decision. Together since teenagers, mortgage-free at 32 and about to build a holiday home we could enjoy with our two young sons, we decided to sell the land and buy a yacht instead....not to go offshore but to be free to explore our local cruising ground. I should have known better!!!

Driving around the North Island a few weeks later, looking at small yachts in our price range, we had the good luck to find Windora, looking a little run-down but set-up for offshore cruising. Phil looks at me and says "The boys are a good age to teach for a few years, let's go".

Did we know much about sailing? Not at all, but we had spent a lot of time on the water. Sold the new house, bought an old one, did some work on the boat, had a few weeks sailing around Nelson and 15 months later we were on our way.

Money????  None, because we blew out the mainsail getting north to join the regatta to Tonga. Hey Mum, can we have a loan?

This is what we looked like in 1994.                      

It took some getting used to....no working, no car, no money....but plenty of time to hang out with the boys...swimming, exploring, teaching....

Looking back, I am amazed we did it, but we were young and needed more in our lives than a nice house and the occasional holiday....we needed an adventure that challenged us and we certainly found it!

Cruising changes you.It changes your values and your outlook on life.....it is not always easy,especially on a low budget, but every sacrifice is paid back one hundred-fold with rich life experiences. 

 We never left to circumnavigate but when we found ourselves in South Africa, we realised we were going to sail around the world, and so we did, almost 8 years of wandering. Still blows me away!

The people who supported our decision at the start were the older ones, looking back on their lives and seeing lost opportunities. Friends our age thought it was crazy for Phil to leave a well-paid job, but we have learnt that you don't need a lot to live on, that experiences beat the accumalation of stuff anytime, and that a little courage goes a long way.

PS. We took about 120 photos a year on this trip, not like todays 120 photos in an afternoon!

Summer in NZ sure beats an Irish winter

I am writing this in sunny Nelson while Windora is sitting out the worst of Northern Ireland's winter in Strangford Lough, not too far from Belfast and under the care of good friends Danny and Hannah. Life has been extremely busy since we flew in mid-November. First Luke and Ella's wedding which was a lovely day and then 3 weeks of hard work renovating Cliff and TeRina's townhouse. Now we are enjoying a few lazy days leading up to Christmas Day which will be spent beside a popular river close by before we start the next project. Helping friends and family is one of the things we enjoy.

As the end of the year approaches we are starting to think about next seasons cruising.There are so many wonderful destinations in the North Atlantic but we can't see them all, or can we???  The deciding factor really is something we are continually discussing....how much longer do we want to keep cruising? It's a dilemma all cruisers face at some stage. We have our health, enough funds and plenty of places that would be hard to sail past, while at the same time feeling the strong pull of family and friends back in NZ. Whether we decide to be home in 2 years or 4, there will be plenty to share with you as we cruise the North Atlantic and beyond. Scotland, Iceland, Greenland.......all  places full of history and stunning scenery.....and that is just the start of the voyage west towards home.

Windora is perfectly landlocked on a mooring to the left of Sketrick Island in Strangford Lough.